How did a one-acre fire on the Chimney Tops trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park transform into a massive firestorm? Take an inside look at the events leading up to the November 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires that claimed 14 lives.
Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel

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Westgate Resort is rebuilding after the Gatlinburg fires destroyed 70 of the 90 buildings at the popular resort. (Photo: SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL)Buy Photo

An fire in an unoccupied building under construction at the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa in Gatlinburg forced the evacuations of several guests in at least two adjacent buildings overnight, emergency dispatchers said.

The fire was reported at 12:36 a.m. Wednesday. Crews with the Gatlinburg Fire Department responded, with mutual aid from the Pigeon Forge and Sevier County Volunteer Fire departments.

The blaze destroyed a 32-unit, four-story building that resort officials described as approximately 75 percent completed.

No injuries were reported amid the flames, according to a Sevier County E-911 dispatcher.

Fire crews brought the fire under control by 4 a.m. Several firefighters remained at the scene Wednesday morning. No other buildings were damaged.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The massive resort, which serves as one of the area's largest employers, lost 25 of its 90 buildings during the Gatlinburg wildfires of November 2016. What was left of the resort reopened 10 days later.

The next month, Westgate executives announced plans to rebuild and expand the resort within 18 months as part of a $150 million reconstruction effort.